Find out how popular the last name Levinson is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Levinson.

Levinson, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Levinson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Levinson in America

Levinson is the 6579th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Levinson surname appeared 5,147 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Levinson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Levinson to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Levinson

The surname Levinson is of Jewish origin, derived from the Hebrew male given name Levi, which means "attached" or "joined." The name is believed to have originated in medieval Germany, specifically in the Rhineland region, where many Jewish communities were established during the Middle Ages.

The earliest known record of the Levinson surname dates back to the late 13th century in the city of Mainz, where a man named Moses ben Levi (Moses son of Levi) was documented in a legal document. Over time, the patronymic "ben Levi" evolved into the surname Levinson, indicating a direct lineage from the biblical figure Levi.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the Levinson surname was Rabbi Judah ben Eliezer Levinson (c. 1520-1585), a prominent Talmudic scholar and kabbalist who lived in Krakow, Poland. He was known for his work "Sefer ha-Mikhtam," which explored mystical interpretations of the Torah.

In the 17th century, the Levinson family spread across Europe, with members settling in various communities. One notable figure was Rabbi Yair Hayyim Bacharach Levinson (1638-1702), a renowned rabbinical authority who served as the Chief Rabbi of Worms, Germany.

Another famous Levinson was Isaac Levinson (1688-1756), a Dutch-Jewish poet, and playwright who wrote in both Hebrew and Dutch. His works, such as "Bikkurei ha-Ittim" and "Mas'at Binyamin," explored Jewish themes and experiences in the Netherlands.

In the 19th century, the Levinson surname gained prominence in the United States with the arrival of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. One notable figure was Salmon P. Levinson (1865-1944), a prominent lawyer and philanthropist who served as the president of the Chicago Board of Education and played a significant role in the development of Jewish education in the city.

Throughout history, the Levinson surname has been associated with various place names, including Levinsohn, Levinsonn, and Lewinson, reflecting regional variations and spelling variations over time. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained rooted in its Jewish heritage and the biblical figure of Levi.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Levinson

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Levinson.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Levinson was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Levinson has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Levinson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Levinson, please contact us.

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